Cervical-thoracic brace

Abstract

A cervical brace has a cervical anterior base (16) with an anterior distal neck-chin plate (1, 27) and a posterior-distal neck-chin plate (9, 28) that are extended over designedly wide areas of a user's shoulders (22) and joined together to provide broad-base support for an anterior-proximal neck-chin plate (2) and an inclined posterior-proximal neck-chin plate (10) with which cervical vertebrae (25) are held desirably in place from the cervical anterior base. A rigid thoracic bar (5) is extended adjustably upward from a chest plate (6) that is strapped to the user. Designedly cushioned and washable pads (3, 4, 7, 11, 12) are detachably fastened to the neck-chin plates and the chest plate. A selectively neck supporting method employs an incline action against a reciprocally inclined back of a person's head by forcing a front portion and a rear portion of the cervical anterior base together to provide a highly weight-supportive base on a broad portion of the person's shoulder area simultaneously.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A cervical-thoracic brace consisting essentially of: a cervical anterior base having an anterior neck plate and a posterior neck plate;   the anterior neck plate being sized, shaped and contoured to extend laterally over top portions of a user's chest proximate a top portion of the sternum and lateral portions of the clavicle;   the anterior neck plate having a front base extended downward from a central portion of the anterior neck plate adapted to be positioned vertically over a portion of the user's sternum and clavicle;   the posterior neck plate being sized, shaped and contoured to extend laterally over portions of opposite-side top and rear areas of the user's neck and having a back base extended downward from a central portion of the posterior neck plate adapted to be positioned vertically over a portion of the user's upper thoracic vertebrae;   a chin plate extended upward and forward from the anterior neck plate;   the chin plate being sized, shaped and contoured to support the user's head from proximately under the user's mandible;   a head plate extended upward and rearward from the rear neck plate;   the head plate being sized, shaped and contoured to support the user's head from proximately under the user's occipital bone;   fastener means with which the anterior neck plate and the posterior neck plate are fastened together;   a chest plate that is adapted to be positioned on the user;   at least one thoracic strap to attach the chest plate to the user; and   a rigid thoracic bar extended upwardly from the chest plate, the rigid thoracic bar being extended intermediate the chest plate and the anterior neck plate.   
     
     
       2. A cervical-thoracic brace as described in claim 1 wherein: the rigid thoracic bar is adjustable in length of extension intermediate the chest plate and the anterior neck.   
     
     
       3. A cervical-thoracic brace as described in claim 1 wherein: a bottom portion of the rigid thoracic bar is positioned in a bar pocket from which the rigid thoracic bar is extendible telescopically for adjustable-length positioning intermediate the chest plate and the anterior neck plate; and   a fastener with fastener attachment of the bottom portion of the rigid thoracic bar to the chest plate.   
     
     
       4. A cervical-thoracic brace as described in claim 3 wherein: the anterior neck plate has a trachea-access orifice that is positioned centrally intermediate opposite lateral ends of the anterior neck plate.   
     
     
       5. A cervical-thoracic brace as described in claim 4 wherein: a top portion of the rigid thoracic bar has a trachea-orifice bay intermediate positions of attachment of the top portion of the rigid thoracic bar to the anterior neck plate.   
     
     
       6. A cervical-thoracic brace as described in claim 1 wherein: the anterior neck plate has a trachea-access orifice that is positioned centrally intermediate opposite lateral ends of the anterior neck plate.   
     
     
       7. A cervical-thoracic brace as described in claim 1 wherein: the chin plate is separate from and attachable to the anterior neck plate.   
     
     
       8. A cervical-thoracic brace as described in claim 1 wherein: the chin plate and the anterior neck plate are a one-piece construction.   
     
     
       9. A cervical-thoracic brace as described in claim 1 wherein: the head plate and the posterior neck plate are a one-piece construction.   
     
     
       10. A cervical-thoracic brace as described in claim 9 wherein: the chin plate and the anterior neck plate are a one-piece construction.   
     
     
       11. A cervical-thoracic brace as described in claim 1 wherein: the head plate is separate from and attachable to the posterior neck plate.   
     
     
       12. A cervical-thoracic brace as described in claim 11 wherein: the chin plate and the anterior neck plate are a one-piece construction.   
     
     
       13. A cervical-thoracic brace as described in claim 11 wherein: the chin plate is separate from and attachable to the anterior neck plate.   
     
     
       14. A cervical-thoracic brace, as described in claim 1 wherein: at least a portion of the body-contact sides of the anterior neck plate, the posterior neck plate and the chin plate are covered with cushioned pads.   
     
     
       15. A cervical-thoracic brace as described in claim 14 wherein: the cushioned pads are attached to the body-contact sides of the anterior neck plate, the posterior neck plate and the chin plate with detachable means.   
     
     
       16. A cervical-thoracic brace as described in claim 15 wherein: the detachable means are straps using hook and loop fastening material.   
     
     
       17. A cervical-thoracic brace as described in claim 16 wherein: the cushioned pads are washable material.   
     
     
       18. A cervical-thoracic brace as described in claim 1 wherein: at least a portion of a body--contact side of the chest plate is covered with a cushioned pad; and further wherein the rigid thoracic bar extends intermediate the chest plate and the anterior neck plate.   
     
     
       19. A cervical-thoracic brace as described in claim 18 wherein: the cushioned pad is attached to the body-contact side of the chest plate with detachable means.   
     
     
       20. A cervical-thoracic brace as described in claim 19 wherein: the detachable means is hook and loop fastening material; and   the cushioned pad is washable.   
     
     
       21. A cervical-thoracic brace consisting essentially of: a cervical support base having anterior neck plate and a posterior neck plate;   the anterior neck plate being sized, shaped and contoured to extend laterally over top portions of a user's chest proximate a top portion of the sternum and lateral portions of the clavicle;   the posterior neck plate being sized, shaped and contoured to extend laterally over portions of opposite-side top and rear areas of the user's shoulders and having a back base extended downward from a central portion of the posterior neck plate to extend vertically over a portion of the user's upper thoracic vertebrae;   a chin plate extended upward and forward from the anterior neck plate;   the chin plate being sized, shaped and contoured to support the user's head from proximately under the user's mandible;   a head plate extended upward and rearward from the posterior neck plate;   the head plate being sized, shaped and contoured to support the user's head from proximately under the user's occipital bone;   fastener means with which the anterior neck plate and the posterior neck plate are fastened together;   a rigid thoracic bar extended upwardly from a chest plate that is adapted to be positioned on the user with at least one thoracic strap;   the rigid thoracic bar being extended intermediate the chest plate and the anterior neck plate;   a bottom portion of the rigid thoracic bar is positioned in a bar pocket from which the rigid thoracic bar is extendible telescopically for adjustable-length positioning intermediate the chest plate and the anterior neck plate;   a fastener with fastener attachment of the bottom portion of the rigid thoracic bar to the chest plate;   the chin plate is separate from and attachable to the anterior neck plate; the head plate is separate from and attachable to the posterior neck plate; and   at least a portion of the body-contact sides of the anterior neck plate, the posterior plate, the chin plate and the chest plate are covered with cushioned pads.   
     
     
       22. A cervical-thoracic brace as described in claim 21 wherein: the anterior neck plate and the posterior neck plate are attachable in juxtaposed positioning with hook and fastening material on strips having common contact surfaces with lengths which overlap for adjustment of closeness of the anterior neck plate and the posterior neck plate.   
     
     
       23. A cervical-thoracic brace as described in claim 22 wherein: the cushioned pads are attachable to the body-contact sides of the anterior neck plate, the posterior neck plate, the chin plate and the chest plate with matching hook and loop fastening material.   
     
     
       24. A cervical-thoracic brace as described in claim 23 wherein: the cushioned pads are washable.   
     
     
       25. A cervical-thoracic brace as described in claim 24 wherein: the chest plate is attachable to a body of the user with a thoracic strap that is fastenable with matching hook and loop fastening material.   
     
     
       26. A method for selectively supporting a person's neck that has been injured or has had corrective surgery comprising the following steps: providing an anterior neck plate that has broad and contoured contact with sternum and clavicle areas of the person laterally;   providing a chin plate that is extended upward and forward from the anterior neck plate and has a size, shape and contour to support the person's head from proximately under the person's mandible;   providing a posterior neck plate that has broad and contoured contact with opposite-side top and rear areas of the person's shoulders and has a back base that is extended downward from a central portion of the posterior neck plate to extend vertically over a portion of the person's upper thoracic vertebrae;   providing a head plate that is extended upward and rearward with an incline from the posterior neck plate and has a size, shape and contour to support the person's head from proximately under the person's occipital bone;   providing an adjustable-length fastener means for fastening the anterior neck plate to the posterior neck plate;   positioning the anterior neck plate over sternum and clavicle areas of the person;   positioning the posterior neck plate over opposite-side top and rear areas of the person's shoulders;   positioning the chin plate in desired contact with a bottom surface of the person's jaw;   positioning the head plate in desired contact with a bottom rear surface of the person's head;   attaching the anterior neck plate to the posterior neck plate;   adjusting fastening length of the adjustable-length fastener to adjust distance between the anterior neck plate and the posterior neck plate as desired to force the person's head upwardly with the incline of the head plate from the posterior neck plate and thereby to support the person's neck selectively upwardly from a base of a cervical-thoracic brace that has a posterior neck plate resting on the person's shoulders and has an anterior neck plate forced against a sternum and clavicle area of the person in opposition to the back base that is forced against the person's upper thoracic vertebrae;   fastening the adjustable-length fastener;   positioning a rigid thoracic bar intermediate the chin plate and a chest plate that is strapped to the person;   adjusting length of the rigid thoracic bar intermediate the chin plate and the chest plate for a desired vertical orientation of the person's head; and   affixing the rigid thoracic bar to the chest plate.